Masyaf

Masyaf is a city in Hama Governorate, northwestern Syria. Its name comes from the Assyrian word "Mansuate", meaning "raised platform", and it was founded in the 8th century BC; it later became known as Marsyas. The Hamdanid dynasty built a fort at Masyaf due to its overlooking the mountain roads, and, in 999, Emperor Basil II of Byzantium destroyed the fort during his campaign to recapture Antioch. The city remained under Muslim control during the Crusades, and, in 1140, it was captured by the Nizari Ismaili Hashshashin, who fled from Aleppo, Damascus, and Baniyas due to persecution from the locals. The Muslim warlord Saladin began to unite the Muslim world under the banner of Sunni Islam, and he began to reunite the Levant under the banner of the Ayyubids. In 1176, after the Assassins launched two assassination attempts against Saladin, Saladin launched a brief siege of the city, but he was forced to withdraw due to the Crusader threat. In 1191, Robert de Sable and the Templar Order laid siege to the city, but they were repelled. In 1260, the Mongols under Hulegu Khan conquered most of northern Syria, including Masyaf. In 1270, Masyaf was formally annexed by the Mamelukes, and it was later governed by the Ottoman Empire. By 1812, Masyaf had 280 families, most of which were Ismaili and 30 were Christian. During the post-World War II independent Syria, Masyaf emerged as a center of carpet weaving (by 1965). In the 1960s, Masyaf's Ismaili community largely identified with the Nasserist movement, while the Alawites of the surrounding town were mostly Ba'athists. By 1970, much of the town remained within its original walls, but it expanded beyond the walls in 1998. In 2004, Masyaf had a population of 22,508 people.